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Ravensburger Games returns with their third instalment in the adventure book series, inviting players to immerse themselves in the legendary world of Middle Earth. In The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game, players will journey through the trilogy, hiding from Black Riders, battling at Helm’s Deep, and braving the dangers of Mordor. Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work will appreciate the thematic touches which enhance this gaming experience.
How Does One Get to Mordor?
Over eight distinctive chapters, players follow detailed setup instructions provided on each page. Each scenario uses different miniatures and tokens, adding variety to the campaign.
However, some setup elements remain unchanged. There are four card decks: the plot deck, story deck, special story deck, and corruption deck. Each one plays a crucial role in the unfolding adventure:
● Plot Deck: Sets the stage for each chapter, introducing new challenges and events.
● Story Deck: Includes six different item type sets, which will be used to complete challenges and increase character movement.
● Special Story Deck: Contains unique cards that can help you succeed.
● Corruption Deck: Tracks the influence of the One Ring, with the corruption track indicating how many times you can use a One Ring card before failing the entire game.
At the start of each chapter, players reveal the plot chart card, which outlines the specific effects of plot cards for that chapter. The story and special story cards are placed nearby but kept separate to avoid confusion. The corruption deck sits at the top of the game board, alongside the corruption track, which will become critical as the adventure progresses.
Each player receives four cards to begin, and from there, the journey unfolds. The setup is as simple as that!
It’s Time to Leave Bag End
The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game plays like a light legacy game. As you advance through the chapters, you will keep track of your corruption, build your story deck, and note your progress for the next gaming session.
I enjoyed how the game explores iconic moments throughout the trilogy, with each scenario featuring different winning and losing conditions. Winning conditions are met by completing challenges, which may include moving miniatures to specific locations, dispelling enemies, and cashing in sets of story cards. If you fail, you replay the scenario. This variety ensures each adventure is exciting, with players eager to discover what lies on the next page.
Completing challenges isn’t easy though, as each turn only allows you to do the following:
● Move: Move one character two spaces or two characters one space each.
● Storytelling: Discard story cards to complete challenges or move characters extra spaces. You can also trade one card in your hand with another player and discard special story cards to use their ability.
● Draw: Draw two cards from the story deck.
● Plot: Draw and resolve a new plot card, beginning the next turn.
● Discard: If players have more than six cards in their hand, they discard until they only have six.
These limited movements make it hard to complete challenges, especially as the plot deck is revealed each turn. However, each completed challenge comes with its own reward, which can help you complete the scenario. One of my favourite rewards was drawing from the special story deck,which is bursting with great cards like Shadowfax, Galadriel, and Arwen. Once you win these, you keep them in your deck for the rest of the adventure, making it a slow deck builder. Just know, any story cards won in a chapter you later fail must be returned to the special story deck. Only winners get to hang out with Shadowfax.
As the winning conditions get harder to meet and turns become limited, it can be frustrating to only draw two cards per round. This limited draw means you can get stuck waiting for a needed story card that may not appear for several turns. The plot deck makes it impossible to turn things around in time, ruining your chances of success. This element of luck was what I least enjoyed about the game. No matter my strategy, if the card wasn’t near the top of the deck, I was guaranteed to fail. One Ring cards can counter this issue, but they come with a hefty sacrifice.
One Ring to Rule Them All
To combat the element of luck, One Ring cards can act as a wild for any other item type in the game, useful when the card you need has done a disappearing act. Additionally, One Ring cards have a unique ability per chapter that helps reduce negative effects dished out by the plot deck. These cards can change the outcome of a scenario, but much like the book, using the One Ring comes with a price.
Players advance the corruption tracker whenever a One Ring card is discarded. If the corruption tracker reaches the 15th space, you lose the entire adventure and start back at square one. As you advance the corruption tracker, you will also hit milestones, causing players to reveal corruption cards and play out their negative effects.
One Ring cards have to be used wisely as the tracker advances even if you fail the scenario. They are brilliant to keep you in the game but don’t be a greedy Gollum as you can only use 15 before it’s game over.
Who needs a Fellowship?
This game can be played cooperatively with up to four players. Much like Pandemic, players work together on all turns to plot moves and think strategically about what to do next. Although this was fun, I much preferred this game solo.
Usually, I am not a solo game person. I prefer working with a team and bouncing ideas off others, but in this game, I loved it. As setup was easy and the game was portable, I enjoyed taking it on my travels and playing in the evenings. Thinking about each puzzle while exploring one of my favourite universes was great fun. It was peaceful, even as the soundtrack boomed out my speaker. I also enjoyed the solo mechanics. Instead of trading one card with another player, you get the option to trade with a dummy hand. This was integral to my strategy as I was able to pawn off all the One Ring cards or store needed item cards for later. Without three other people discussing what to do next, the game felt smoother and less chaotic.
Final Thoughts
As I concluded my campaign at the gates of Mordor, I felt both accomplished and satisfied with The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game. As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, this game had all the touches I wanted. Each page was styled after the movies and contained epic moments from the trilogy. Every challenge and action felt tied to the narrative and the IP, adding to the immersion.
While the game delivers on many aspects, a few issues stood out. The drafting mechanic felt too reliant on luck, and some scenario attempts felt doomed from the start. Despite its replayability, the outcomes are often similar, with variations mainly in the special cards you add to your deck and the people you play with. This lack of diverse replayability might not appeal to everyone.
If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings and looking for a captivating solo experience, an epic adventure, or a game with minimal setup time, The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game is an excellent pick. It beautifully captures the essence of Middle Earth and offers an immersive experience that will delight Tolkien enthusiasts.
